Davis Warns Against Siegelman Testifying to Congress

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Davis warns against Siegelman testifying to Congress

By BEN EVANS
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Democratic Rep. Artur Davis of Birmingham warned House Democrats Monday against calling Don Siegelman to testify before Congress, saying Republicans would use the occasion to try to embarrass the former Alabama governor. In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., Davis said it would be "extremely unwise" to open Siegelman up to fresh attacks and could jeopardize his appeal.

Davis said the appearance would probably turn into a partisan debate over Siegelman's guilt or innocence and shift attention from the committee's true goal of determining whether Republican politics influenced his prosecution on corruption charges. "I fear that we will undermine what we value most if we divert this committee into a fact-finding quest into what Don Siegelman did or did not do," Davis wrote.

A former federal prosecutor, Davis is a member of the Judiciary Committee who has worked closely with Conyers and other Democrats to focus attention on Siegelman's case. But Davis said he was not told of the committee's decision last week to seek Siegelman's testimony and would have advised against it, even before the former governor was released from prison Friday while he appeals his case.

Davis said the committee should focus on getting testimony from political operatives, particularly from former chief White House adviser Karl Rove. Siegelman's testimony would probably provide little new information about Justice Department behavior, he said.

Read more: http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/033108/D8VOKH9O3.shtml

[mac2]

1. Can't blame Conyers for wanting a hearing....

regarding Siegelman's case. It is just another political attack by Republicans to remove Democrats from public office. Ones they can't defeat in the election such as Wellstone, Trafactant, Attorney Generals around the country, etc.

They should fire the head of the Justice Department for not being "fair and balanced". He is a Bush political hack at our expense. Democrats pay his salary and he is supposed to protect their rights too. Fire him for being so blatant and turning a blind eye to justice. If our courts are corrupt no one is safe in our society.

[rucognizant]

9. Do you have a back story on Trafactant?

I finished my Americorps stint and settled in to watch cspan daily just when they stripped him of his Congressonal seat and sent him off to jail; shouting at the cameras that he was innocent & being framed, ....
I believed him.
Of course I have an ancestor, Sect. to Edward Hyde, Gov of NY. who was framed by Hyde. ( who actually did the dirty deed!)
He had a reputation for high integrity & after about a year he was cleared, and given land as reparation by Hyde.
With a supreme French ( Huguneot) sense of irony, he called it "Hyde Park". Yeh THAT one on the Hudson!
The Gov. was a transvestite, and recalled by his cousin Queen Anne for his bad Governing!
Things haven't changed much in NY State in the last 300 years!

[mac2]

11. The last I know of him he's still in a mental institution and serving

his prison time. I can't find anything about him. I did ask...even Amnesty International how he was doing.

I feel the sentence was very long for such a small amount of money ($100,000 or something like that). Trafactant was not a rich man so I also believe him. He was punished for questioning the 2000 voting fraud in Florida at the Electoral College Certification. He was the only white guy to protest the stolen election and demand the certification be denied until it was investigated.

I did not approve of everything Trafactant did or said. He did rant once in awhile...but so do I. He was the representative and the people of Ohio chose him.

The Senate all sat mute...both parties. Al Gore VP at the time could have demanded they (the House members who were outraged) be allowed to speak and be heard since it was his election and vote count. He didn't want to divide the country was his excuse. Who could have been more divisive or bad for America? The father's administration just a sham of corruption and lies.

Why isn't Tom DeLay, Hastert, Cheney, Dole, and Bush all in jail for their fraud?

Anyone in Ohio know of Trafactant's plight? He is a political prisoner. Democrats did not support him saying it was a frame.

[Art_from_Ark]

17. How could Al Gore as VP have made such a demand?

President of the Senate

According to Article 1, section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, "The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided." Other than being prepared to succeed to the presidency if needed, the vice president's only constitutional role in government is to preside over the Senate. Although vice presidents regularly presided in the Senate during the 19th century and through much of the early 20th century, today vice presidents preside only on ceremonial occasions and when their vote is needed to break a tie .

http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_index_subjects/Officers_Staff_vrd.htm

It doesn't sound like he could have done much of anything in this case.

[mac2]

30. The VP is a member of the Senate

One signature from a Senator was needed for the House members to protest and speak regarding the Electoral Certification of Bush. Gore said, he didn't want to divide the country or look self serving.

[Kolesar]

20. Traficant and the gangsters bought the jury to when Jim T. was charged with accepting mob money

That was when he was Mahoning County sheriff. AFter he cleared that, Traficant had the gall to run for Congress. Traficant voted for the republican, Dennis Hastert, to be Speaker of the House.

Traficant is not a "political prisoner" You're just making that up.

[mac2]

31. It was a fix and that sheriff lied.

Trafactant was not a rich man like most of our Congressional leaders. His sentence way too long regardless.

[midnight]

2. I'm not familiar with the testimony they are seeking... I only

know that we locked up an innocent man. Maybe he has been able to know that the system that put him in prison needs some talking about. I think with that in mind and this former federal prosecutor, they should protect Singleman like they do other citizens who have pending trials.

[bemildred]

3. I expect that Mr Siegelman can handle the abuse.

In fact, I expect that he looks forward to the opportunity to respond to it.

[Divine Discontent]

5. exactly

and, I think the DEMS will do their best to keep this on topic, and demand that the questioning delve into the dirty politics that are at question as to why he's been put in this position, and spent all that time in prison.

I'm sure he wants to speak, I would.

[guyanakoolaid]

4. Open him up to"fresh" attacks?!?

For crissakes, the man has served jail time, I doubt he's worried about what more enocon rhetoric will do to him.

Let him speak.

[King Coal]

6. Same old caca, different dia.

Oh yeah, appearance trumps facts. :sarcasm:

[Supersedeas]

24. Repig have nothing positive or affirmative to say, so they divert and sensationalize

[quakerboy]

7. Am I misunderstanding

or is this another "lets keep our powder dry" type?

[tavalon]

19. I think it might be a bit more like,

bad guys and good guys don't fall along party lines.

[John Q. Citizen]

8. Congress has fucked up legal proceedings plenty of times. Look at what having

Ollie North and company testify to congress acomplished. Nothing. But it did open avenues of political attacks and it also screwed up the justice aspects to some degree.

I haven't made up my mind on this one way or the other in terms of if it's the best plan to have Siegelman testify or not. I'm just willing to consider that maybe it's not. For one thing, Siegelman has a court case to fight and win. Is letting the Repos ask him questions under oath good for his case? Who knows. I don't.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Wouldn't you think Don Siegelman himself would know if it's wise to go ahead with this & would have

communicated that already to John Conyers?

I think they are both intelligent men.

[mac2]

12. Does Siegelman approve of what his lawyer is doing?

How do we know?

[lonestarnot]

14. He's out isn't he? LOL

He better follow their advise.

[mac2]

16. No I mean about going before Congress

[struggle4progress]

13. Rep. Artur Davis ( - Alabama, 7th) - Privately Financed Travel

12/03/05-12/06/05
Democratic Leadership Council
Baltimore, MD
DLC Aspen Institute participant


05/16/05-05/17/05
Democratic Leadership Council
New York, NYCultural Mecca
Keynote speaker for DLC dinner

10/18/03-10/19/03
Democratic Leadership Council
Atlanta, GA
Keynote speaker at Democratic Leadership Council conference

http://www.legistorm.com/trip/approver/191/Rep_Artur_Davis/all/1.html
http://www.legistorm.com/trip/approver/191/Rep_Artur_Davis/personal/1.html

... Congressman Davis .... is the co-chair of the .. New Democrat Caucus ... http://www.house.gov/arturdavis/biography.shtml

... Artur Davis is one of those powerful figures you don't hear that much about. He's the recruitment chair of the DCCC, a self-described 'centrist', and a New Democrat. He voted for the Bankruptcy Bill and attacked Moveon for criticizing Democrats for voting wrong on the capitulation bill. Davis's record suggests that he's both friendly to right-wing corporate interests and hostile to economic populism. He voted against net neutrality, introduced the failed free trade deal with the Bush administration and signed the letter to the Presidential candidates asking them to go on Fox News to debate ... http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=886

[Hissyspit]

18. Thank you.

[pacalo]

23. I'm seeing Davis in a different light. Perhaps he is afraid for him$elf.

[redqueen]

25. Thanks for the background info. (nt)

[Justitia]

27. Putting that aside, he has been fighting for Siegelman on this for a long time. Maybe there is

something to what he says about this. I've been watching him act as an advocate for Siegelman, so I think what he says should at least give some pause.

We definitely don't want to do anything to jeopardize Siegelman's appeal.

Lawyers need to be consulted on this.

[wordpix]

28. at first glance, Davis appears to be a DINO "friendly to RW corporate interests"

let Siegleman speak!

[JI7]

15. i think it should be up to Siegelman

he should consider everything though and how it might be used against him. but they will do that anyways and this is his chance to get out his side.

[trof]

21. Murmurings in Alabama: Davis may have ulterior motives?

The theory has been put out that Davis may be looking at a run for either governor or senator and doesn't want any competition from Siegelman.

I honestly don't know.
But that's the buzz down here.
:shrug:

[mac2]

32. Now that he's had a taste of fame eh?

[subterranean]

22. If Siegelman has real evidence, he ought to testify

but if he can only make accusations based on hearsay, I doubt his appearance will accomplish anything.

[Kingofalldems]

26. Good advice

Two words: Dan Burton

[wordpix]

29. Yeah, I'm sure Rover will be rushing up there to the Capitol, just like Miers & Bolton

uh huh :sarcasm:

[Supersedeas]

33. Repigs trying to silence the truth with irrelevant dirtry tricks again--what's new